Class 8 students of Sri Sankara Vidyalayaa (SSV), Karur, and twin sisters, S. D. Shebi and S. D. Shevaali, have come up with a method to purify water that relies on traditional herbal ingredients, and promises to be an eco-friendly alternative to other expensive processes.
The innovative idea was one of three submitted by SSV student teams in Atal Marathon 2020, which attracted 300 entries from across India. It was selected in August last to be developed as a product under the mentorship of Nitil Das of LinkedIn.
Called ‘Vetranut Pouch’, the system works by inserting a cotton cloth bag containing small portions of sarasaparilla ( nannari) and vetiver roots, and clearing nut ( thettrankottai) seeds in an earthen pot filled with water. When left undisturbed for three hours or more, the impurities in the water sink to the bottom. The purified top layer, which has a light yellow tinge and enhanced taste due to the herbs, can be decanted and consumed. A pouch can be used for up to two days.
“Though RO water is common in our homes these days, it is not really an eco-friendly technology. To get one litre of drinkable water, at least three litres is wasted in filtering. So, we started looking at traditional ways of water purification. Vetranut is a new combination of herbal components that works well for home usage,” Ms. Shebi told The Hindu in a virtual meeting.
According to the students’ research, clearing nut’s protein Novacine acts as a coagulant in purifying water, while vetiver roots absorb the salts and reduce its hardness. Sarasaparilla roots add flavour and have immunity-boosting properties. The earthen pot was chosen to maintain the basic pH level of water.
Science teacher K. Ramya, who guided the students, said the method had the added advantage of retaining essential minerals in water and also making it taste better.
The team was put through a four-day internship programme online by Learning Link Foundation, where it was briefed on product development, copyright, intellectual property rights and related marketing knowledge.
“At present, we can source the raw material from local herbal medicine shops, but in the long run, we will have to look for wholesale suppliers from other places. The school is focusing on spreading awareness about Vetranut Pouch; we hope it will be launched as an economic water purifier soon,” said Ms. Ramya.
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Printable version | Apr 23, 2022 6:02:05 pm | https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/karur-students-invent-low-cost-herbal-water-purifier/article65347740.ece